


It's Not a Merry Christmas

by aureate



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Disbandment (mentioned), Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 03:04:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17154083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aureate/pseuds/aureate
Summary: “You know,” Jihoon says, poking the fettuccini with his fork, “we could have done this tomorrow.”Seungcheol looks up from his bowl, confused, “You don’t like this?”





	It's Not a Merry Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this is not a hp au nor the side story of the chatbot au, but I hope you will enjoy this short piece! Merry xmas & happy holidays folks!
> 
> The story is set three years after the group's disbandment (may that never happen.)

 

They have done numerous Christmas dinners as a couple before, but tonight feels different, especially when Seungcheol insists they still need to have a celebratory dinner even after the group gathering held in Mingyu’s apartment. Jihoon finds himself sitting across his boyfriend in the private room of a famous restaurant sitting in the high level of a five star hotel in Gangnam. It’s not their first time here, in fact this is the first place they went as a couple, and the view is still breathtaking.

Seungcheol orders both of them light dinner—by light dinner he means steak and pasta for Jihoon and mushroom soup for himself because he’s still on a diet—and red wine because Jihoon has started to like it better than beer.

“You know,” Jihoon says, poking the fettuccini with his fork, “we could have done this tomorrow.”

Seungcheol looks up from his bowl, confused, “You don’t like this?”

Jihoon sighs, resting his chin on his left hand, “No. But aren’t you full from the dinner at Mingyu’s?” He remembers the older man eating a plate full of chicken wings and potato wedges and two slices of pepperoni pizza he loves so much. “And we could have used the time to catch up more with them. It’s been a long time since we gathered like that.”

The frown in Seungcheol’s forehead is obvious to tell how he doesn’t feel good hearing Jihoon’s words. He is probably feeling guilty, but on top of that disliking how the other makes him feel so. He pulls up the napkin and then dabs it on his lips, an attempt to distract himself. Jihoon feels bad, too. He should probably have said it in a nicer way. 

“But it’s our tradition to have our dinner on the Christmas Eve.” Seungcheol defends himself. 

“Yes, but Junhui and Minghao especially flew from China to have dinner together with all of us after, what, three years?” The duo has debuted in China after the group’s disbandment and made a big name for them. They rarely visited Seoul since then, but never lost contact with the others.

Seungcheol bites on the insides of his cheek, thinking. “I’ve talked with the boys about it. This is our fifth anniversary together and I just want to—“ He takes a deep breath. “Alright, I’m stupid. Let’s go back.” He makes a move to stand up, but Jihoon is quick to grab his hand.

“Hyung,” he squeezes the other’s hand lightly, making him look into his eyes. He tries to put on his most effective pout. “I’m sorry. Let’s not fight?”

It takes Seungcheol a while before he nods and straightens up his position in the chair. The air between them feels a bit awkward, and Jihoon doesn’t know how to break it off without making it even more awkward because he was the one who started it. 

“I have talked with the boys about it.” Seungcheol talks first. “We agreed to have lunch  tomorrow in Soonyoung’s restaurant. I haven’t told you because it was supposed to be a surprise.”

Jihoon smiles, reaching out to lace their fingers together, “I’m sorry it’s not a secret anymore. I thought we’re going to see your parents tomorrow?”

The older man nods, his thumb stroking lazy circles to the other’s palm, assuring him that everything is okay. “We’re going straight to the station after lunch. I hope it’s okay with you.”

In their five years of official relationship after messing around behind the stage’s curtain, Jihoon finding himself doesn’t mind with a lot of the older’s antiques. He could be stubborn sometimes, and is quick to come to unnecessary conclusions, but those are just what makes Seungcheol _Seungcheol_ , and Jihoon still loves him nonetheless. 

They ends up talking about the time they spent earlier in Mingyu’s place—Jihoon listening to Chan’s nonsense about his mixtape again and Seungcheol being teased by the new role he landed for an upcoming webdrama—and the mood falls back in. Jihoon feels his chest warming up at the sight of Seungcheol laughing at a random joke he threw in, and he suddenly feels that the table standing between them is too big. 

“Should we go home?” He asks, hoping the older would get the hint. 

They have grown older, and to be honest Jihoon gets tired more easily lately, especially with the late hours he pulls in the studio. Things he would be able to do easily in the past now requires more vitamins and cups of americano. Seungcheol has warned him about this, telling him not to push his body too hard because it’s getting old, but Jihoon never listens because it is what he loves doing anyway. And Seungcheol understands.

Seungcheol shakes his head, smiling like he has a secret stash of candies hidden under their bed—only that Jihoon knows it’s not candies, but other _things_. “Do you want some dessert?” He asks, pulling out the menu and flipping between the pages. “Does strawberry ice cream sound good?”

“Are you trying to make me have diabetes?” He pouts. He just wants to go home and cuddle with his boyfriend.

The older laughs, “If you’re gonna have diabetes, it’s from the ridiculous amount of cola you have in our fridge, Jihoon.” The younger makes a gagging noise at this, closing his ears and pretending he didn’t hear that. Seungcheol closes off the menu and places it back on the table, giving up. “Alright, let’s go home.” He smiles, looking straight at the other’s eyes. “Not before one thing, though.”

Jihoon raises his eyebrows, lifting up his wine glass to hide his smile of victory. Too late though, Seungcheol saw that already. “What’s that?”

“I want to give you something before we leave this place,” he says, turning slightly to take something out of his coat pocket. He places it on the table in front of Jihoon. It is a simple, small black gift box with pretty silver ribbon tied around it. 

Jihoon frowns, “I thought we don’t exchange gifts until Christmas morning?” He picks up the box and tries to shake it, an attempt to find out its content. He has been saying he wants a personal car, because taking a taxi back and forth between their house and his studio personally gets tiring, and he recently learned driving from his boyfriend. But Seungcheol wouldn’t be the type to put a car key inside and surprise him with a Mercedes in the parking lot, right…?

“Just open it.” The older’s smile is suspicious in so many ways, but Jihoon still starts pulling out the ribbon to open the gift box. 

Really, Jihoon should not have keep any expectations, because inside the gift box is another box, one that’s covered in pretty velvet in charcoal color, that looks a lot like— “Hyung…” Jihoon looks up, unsure if he should open the box or not, and Seungcheol smiles at him encouragingly. 

“This is not a ‘ _Merry Christmas’_ , Jihoon,” Seungcheol says as Jihoon finally lifts up the lid of the box, revealing a simple yet pretty white gold ring with a small twist on its end. The younger looks up, staring at the older man unbelievably. He is met with a goofy smile that stretches across his face, yet his eyes are twinkling with nervous, and Jihoon isn’t someone who cries easily, really, but perhaps he lets a tear slide when he hears the other says, “It’s a _‘Marry me?’_ " 

“What the fuck,” he says instead, hand still shaking holding the jewelery box, and Seungcheol laughs. “Are you—“

The older man reaches out and places a hand under Jihoon’s shaking hand and another to hold the box better, “Lee Jihoon, will you marry me?” He asks sweetly—too sweet to be refused, honestly, but the younger is still grasping the air for words.

“Is this why we’re going to this restaurant?” He asks instead, and Seungcheol nods in between his nervous laughter. “And you told the other guys you’re going to do this?” Seungcheol nods again, this time more shyly. “Choi Seungcheol, you’re unbelievable,” he gushes. 

“Stop making me so embarrassed!” Seungcheol exclaims lightheartedly, followed by a series of laughter that resonates straight to Jihoon’s heart. “Well?” 

Jihoon smiles, taking out the ring from its box and sliding it into his finger easily, like it has always belonged there. He takes an admiring look over it again, satisfied how it sits well in his finger. He looks up and meets the older’s nervous look, and then smiles because the other must have prepared for it thoroughly and he was being kinda a jerk before. “Yes.” He stands up and crosses over the gap parting them, pressing a sweet, lingering kiss on his lips.

“Love you, Hoonie,” Seungcheol whispers against his lips when they pull apart.  

“We better go home so you can show me what you mean by that,” Jihoon teases, and the older man couldn’t help but pulling him back for another kiss.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> In my mind, after the disbandment Jun & Minghao debuted in China as a duo, Mingyu became a successful actor & model, Soonyoung becomes a dance expert and opens up a Japanese restaurant, Jihoon continues making music, Seungcheol still loves singing but he tries some acting as well.
> 
> Hit me up on [twitter](http://twitter.com/cheolhuns).


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